New year, time for a flood of new beauty launches?! In terms of testing them out it is early days but as a little preview I wanted to share some info on the new launches that have been catching my attention this month so far.
Post features PR samples.
MAC has a new collection all around the Chinese Lunar New Year and it has some stunning products. One of which is immediately going in my ‘collectors items’ box, where I put the truly special beauty bits I want to keep safe in my own little beauty archive. The collection is largely made up of specially packaged versions of existing favourite shades, so I don’t feel bad about not using this beautiful highlighter as know I can get my hands on the same shade in the regular collection. It just won’t look as stunning to look at as it does in dragon-embossed form.
The packaging is inspired by the Forbidden City with a mic of blue, pink, yellow and turquoise. Packaging wise the stand out has to be the powder blush duo. The compact is weighty and embossed on the top with a decent mirror. This is my favourite product from the collection and called Dynastic Fantastic but is actually a duo of Pinch o’peach and Modern Mandarin, both existing shades. But in a compact where you can blend together and make your own custom version. This would be my top pick from the collection – which is limited edition so move fast if you want some!
MAC Lunar Illusions is available now from Selfridges.com (affiliate link)
YSL has a new skincare launch out which is all around these focussed ‘pure shots’ which mean you can customise and adapt your routine to your needs. The core product is an ‘Essence’ which in a nutshell is a more hydrating option than a toner for skincare. Then there are four shots – a hydrating one, a radiance one, a firming one and a ‘night reboot’ glycolic one. Plus a ‘Perfect Plumper Cream’.
The first impressions on this range are great, with packaging you want to have on display. But the added bonus that the range are designed to be refilled (the clear outer packaging remains and just the smaller inner is replaced). Good to see huge luxury brands looking at packaging and making it both luxe and eco conscious, a step in the right direction.
The YSL Pure Shot Collection is available now (links below are affiliate):
A new skincare addition to the Milk Makeup range. I went to a dinner with the brand towards the end of last year and it gave me a bit of a new perspective on the brand overall. I’ve always though of Milk Makeup as a mega cool, Instagram friendly, millennial focussed type of brand. But this event was totally aimed at mums and with the founder Zana telling us about how much her life as a mum influenced the creation of the brand with a real focus on quick, easy, multi-functional products. It totally turned me from thinking it was a brand that was maybe way too cool for me to turning that on it’s head and realising it is actually great for me and makes me feel way less like an imposter using it!
ANYWAY, I digress – the new launch from them is a Vegan Milk Moisturiser. It’s not quite got the whole ‘multi task’ thing that other products from the brand. But it is a good all rounder moisturiser. With a blend of various vegan milks into an immediately hydrating and not greasy face cream. It contains something called ‘Desert Milk’ which is a blend of various plants such as the baobab, Kalahari melon (which I just had to google), jojoba and aloe vera. All desert based type of plants so cleverly adapted to make the most of any moisture and the hope being that that’s exactly what these do for your skin. I’ve not tried yet so this is just a little ‘heads up it’s launched’ and will follow up when I’ve tried it to share my review then.
Milk Makeup Vegan Moisturiser is available now: Cult Beauty £35 (affiliate link)
Last but by no means least is the brand new vegan skincare range from M&S. The range is called Pure and it’s designed to truly work at the same time as ticking all the boxes for vegan. Having heard about this range I love the levels of effort and detail they have put into not only the formulations but also the packaging.
It really is a well thought out range. From working with a university to find ways to re-use by product of other areas of the M&S production line (i.e. ‘waste’ from the M&S wine production being used to harvest reservation for the skincare line). The packaging design is simple and stylish, plus designed to make it as widely recyclable as possible – including the pump on the bottles. Which is pretty tricky to do. A tech and design element they’re open to sharing with other brands to encourage others to take the same approach an recycle as much as possible.
So far the parts of the range I am more intrigued by are the vast selection of cleansers. Rumour has it the rose balm cleanser is up there with another very well known British skincare brand (cough – Elemis – cough) but priced at just £12 and fully vegan… ticks a few extra boxes?! There’s also a lovely light hydrating serum especially for the eye area. I love all things eye and something that feels as cooling and hydrating for that area is always going to be a winner with me.
A lovely range that’s well worth a look, regardless of your own stance on Veganism as a lifestyle choice. The products are great and the eco conscious focus of the packaging is fantastic to see.
The M&S Pure skincare range is available now (links below are affiliate):
